Wisconsin!

Welcome to my weird mind.  A few years ago completely out of the blue I had a dream we were visiting lighthouses and enjoying a beautiful seaside retreat.  But we weren't by the ocean, we were in Wisconsin of all places.  When I woke I was trying to figure out why on earth I was dreaming about lighthouses in Wisconsin.  I seemed to vaguely remember hearing once that there was a county in the Midwest that had more continuous coastline and more lighthouses than any other county in America, so  I quickly did what anyone in this information age would do.  I googled the heck out of every word combination I could think of until I found it.  There it was!  Door County, Wisconsin - also known as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest."  Now I'm not saying I had some premonition.  I'm not even saying that the place in my dreams was an exact match to the place I was looking at on the screen.  But I was very intrigued... enough to convince Husband that we needed to vacation there that summer.  I immediately started planning, and a few months later we went.

Door County did not disappoint.  What we had stumbled upon was a veritable treasure trove!  Our vacation was so much fun, and more than that, it was eye opening.  Here was this amazing place that I had never even known existed, but with every minute we spent there it got under my skin and into my heart.  Let me attempt to paint you a picture of what we discovered.

The summer weather is nothing short of glorious with its cool evenings and breezy, warm days.   It is simultaneously full of adventure and completely serene.  It has that dreamy costal feeling but also a familiar rural lull.  With art galleries galore and a vibrant theater and music scene it feels cultured and relevant.  I can see why artists have always escaped to Door County for inspiration.  Over 300 miles of shoreline is dotted with historical lighthouses, sleepy boat docks speckled with white adirondack chairs, bustling marinas full of sailboats and yachts, luxurious beach resorts, and nostalgic family lake cabins.  An abundance of wineries, antique shops, and cherry orchards are overflowing with charm.  If you're looking for sport, you can enjoy golfing, kayaking, sailing, hiking, camping, and fishing.  But drive a few miles and you'll find villages brimming with museums, boutique shops, and eateries.  There are dairy farms, barn quilts, corn fields, and cheese shops.  There are draw bridges, ship yards, and tug boats.  On any given day you will find a dozen different festivals or events happening around the county.  And all this is only the summer bustle!  As the days grow shorter and summer slips into fall, leaf peepers come from far and wide to experience the explosion of color that blankets the peninsula and the harvest celebrations that excite the sleepy coastal towns.  Winter is nothing short of a Currier and Ives painting, with Christmas as its crowning achievement... I mean, if you're into that sort of thing :0)  Meanwhile the outdoorsman might prefer some exhilarating snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice fishing or snowmobiling.  The coastline of the Mighty Lake Michigan becomes a frozen sculpture of jagged, icy rock formations.   Spring is admittedly a bit of a wrestling match between the summer's thaw and winter's icy grip.  But just when you'd least expect it, the tulips and daffodils and cool weather grasses start to overtake the peninsula with color and promise of warm days ahead.  Signaling the summer's approach are the cherry blossoms like clouds of pinkish-white billowing across the county.  It is some kind of heaven.

I could sit here and explain everything in one post, but instead of penning a novel I've decided that I will use a series of future blog posts to illustrate to my friends and family all the things we love about Door County.  In no particular order.